Digital Film at Stephens College
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
The world needs more women like you making films.
Right now, women make up less than 10% of directors working on the top-grossing films in the U.S. As a women’s college, Stephens is uniquely situated to prepare you to make your mark and shatter industry trends.
“Working with professional filmmakers, you get a glimpse of what it’s like to work in a professional setting, but with the safety net of knowing that if you make a mistake, it’s OK. The Summer Film Institute was truly an amazing experience for which I am very grateful.”
— Ayanna Smith ‘19
What sets us apart
Stephens is one of only two women’s colleges in the U.S. that has a film production program.
Columbia’s annual documentary film festival, True/False, is an integral part of spring semester digital filmmaking courses. Stephens students get behind-the-scenes experience by serving as festival volunteers.
Students have free access to a full range of filmmaking equipment maintained by the digital filmmaking faculty and library staff.
Columbia’s strong local arts community includes Ragtag Cinema, a few short blocks from the Stephens campus
Summer Film Institute
This intensive summer experience brings together digital filmmaking students, professional guest filmmakers and filmmaking faculty to produce, shoot and edit a film together in a realistic working environment. Freshmen and sophomores rotate through positions on set while juniors and seniors select a role that aligns with their goals.
“The professors at Stephens validated my passion and made me believe I could dream up. I took inspiration from each film we analyzed in class and gained insight through every assignment.”
— Michaela Dehning ’08, Visual Effects Producer at Sony Pictures